Pulldown machines lick a$$

[DiegoLeeRoth]

Ever since I started reading in this forum, I've been ditching some old exercises for what everyone swears by here. Well, today I gave up Lat Pulls for standard pullups and chins. Figured it wouldn't be so bad. I can do a little more than my weight in lat pulls for a decent # of reps. Of course as I found out it doesn't mean shit. I could barely pull of 2 reps in chins and could't even hit the second rep in pullups. Needless to say I'm ditching lat pulls .
Special thanks goes to the creators of the internet (Al Gore? ), and to the people of elite fitness forums with all their knowledge for making me a wee bit smarter about lifting.

 

[SFLifter]

NICE. I just ditched lat pulls for chinups on Tuesday! My back is still screaming at me, and I love it!

 

[chewyxrage]

best switch i ever made.

 

[callthedoctor]

I don't like lat-pulls either....however, I'm 250lbs and that makes a tough pull-up.

I still use the machine, but not much....what I'm finding is that doing (assisted) negative pull-ups is strengthing my abilities to DO pullups....

Later.

 

[chewyxrage]

nice post doctor......

When I first started pullups I could only do sets of 5.

So i started using the assisted pullup "machine" untill I could do 2 sets of 8....then I switched to bodyweight pullups.

 

[Aerojaxx]

Greatest lesson I ever learned....I too could only manage about 6 pull ups 2 months ago....now I am getting 3X8 with 45lbs strapped to me...

Now I just need to figure out how to keep everything else growing as fast as the lats !!

I love em..!!

 

[Sub-Zero]

whats the difference between chin ups and pull ups?

 

[biggest_man_in_the_world]

whats the difference between chin ups and pull ups?

Bump...I'm interested in this answer too.

What different muscles do pull-ups/chin-ups work?

Also, I can probably do about 16-18 chin-ups from fresh (about 10-12 after doing deadlifts and curls), what rep-range do you think I should be doing for chin-ups/pull-ups with added weight?

 

[crew9]

whats the difference between chin ups and pull ups?

chinups= palms facing you
pullups= palms facing away

 

[wtlftr]

good answer. Pullups are harder.

 

[IronandGravity]

I just dumped pull-downs and did some pull-ups yesterday (chin-ups technically, palms facing me). I knocked out 2x8 like a pro. I couldn't believe it. I used to have to struggle for 5 reps. But I've also lost 33 pounds since last I tried them, so that's a help. Never going back to pull-downs.

 

[wtlftr]

Iron, you probably did chin up not pullups

 

[IronandGravity]

Is there a big difference between the two? Like chin-ups probably hit the biceps a little more. Maybe I'll alternate between the two or switch to pull-ups.

 

[Synpax]

Chins take advantage of one extra muscle whose name escapes me right now.

 

[strongsmartsexy]

Chins tend to involve more bicep, and if you do a thumbs over grip on pullups it helps take the bi out of the motion.

For those of you just starting to do pullups instead of a machine try this.

Do 3 sets.

Do as many pullups as you can, rest for 30 seconds and then do as many as you can again. Repeat until you have 12. Take a 1 - 2 min break and repeat until you have 3 sets.

 

[time2getbig]

Do most of you do pull ups/ chins with straps or not? Personally, I like to do them with straps but was curious to what ya'll do.

 

[crew9]

Do most of you do pull ups/ chins with straps or not? Personally, I like to do them with straps but was curious to what ya'll do.

I don't use straps. No point in making my back stronger and grip weaker.

 

[lavi]

I don't really train forearms on their own, so no straps for me.

 

[strongsmartsexy]

No straps

 

[wtlftr]

no straps for me on pullups

 

[muscledog95]

Greatest lesson I ever learned....I too could only manage about 6 pull ups 2 months ago....now I am getting 3X8 with 45lbs strapped to me...

Now I just need to figure out how to keep everything else growing as fast as the lats !!

I love em..!!

You went up 45lb on chins in 2 months? WOW

 

[wtlftr]

jaxx..are you going slow on the pulls or are they fast reps?

 

[evander1972]

This thread has made me realise how much Im slacking in the gym, When I first started lifting I used to do the lat pull downs on the machine. When I got close to my bodyweight my training partner made me switch to the chinups. Now I could only manage 2 to start and the other 6 reps would be assisted and this connsisted of 4 sets. Within a month I was doing 4 sets of 8,8,7,6. I gave up the gym for a couple of years and since going back I workout on my own and am back to using the lat pull down machine. Well I think its time to go back to the chinups and apply this philosophy to all other bodyparts and see if my progress improves.

 

[Lililston]

I can't even do pull-ups yet or dips

 

[IronandGravity]

I can't even do pull-ups yet or dips

Keep working on it and you'll get there. One thing you can be certain of: hard work pays off in the gym.

 

[Backlash]

Keep working on it and you'll get there. One thing you can be certain of: hard work pays off in the gym.

 

[Lililston]

^That's why for now I've only been doing pulldowns... cause I'm not even strong enough

 

[evander1972]

Stick with it Bro, When I started lifting I had absolutely no muscle on my puny frame and I mean puny. But it soon builds

 

[lyrical187]

pullups= upper lats
chinups= lower lats

 

[tzan]

For those of you just starting to do pullups instead of a machine try this.

Do 3 sets.

Do as many pullups as you can, rest for 30 seconds and then do as many as you can again. Repeat until you have 12. Take a 1 - 2 min break and repeat until you have 3 sets.

Best tip I've heard in a while. I strongly recommend this approach to people who can't get their desired amount of reps in one set. I believe this will work a lot better then using one of those weight assisted pullup/dip machines.

 

[Aerojaxx]

You went up 45lb on chins in 2 months? WOW

Just to update...I am now getting 10 reps with 45 lbs.....

 

[Aerojaxx]

jaxx..are you going slow on the pulls or are they fast reps?

Not too fast, nor too slow....I do not use grips...so, I don't hang out up there....but I am not just jerking around with a 45 lb. plate strapped to me. Getting full range of motion too...